Even with good tubes if you could get 1000 watts CW out it would only be a few seconds. Maybe 500 but on 6 meters that is pushing it as tube efficiency drops. 400 is more realistic. SSB 500 watts or a bit more should be possible. Amps of that era were rated input power not output so 1KW input on CW is within realm of possibility.

Logged

--------------------------------------Ham since 1969.... Old School 20 WPM Extra

70 watts is probably what you're putting into the "Econo Six" and a grounded gridamp just passes the driving power out the output. So the amp isn't amplifing at all. Whatever the advertisement for the amp says, 1000 watts CW and700 watts SSB on six meters with sweep tubes is just wishful thinking. You don't mention whether you have ever had this amp working and if it has been setting for a long time, who knows what might be going on. Testing sweep tubeson a tube tester is specious at best. Best bet is to improve your antenna systemor get a real amplifier and forget messing around with sweep tube amps.You can buy NOS (new old stock) tubes which will cost a pretty penny and maynot be in good condition.

I built a bunch of amps using that tube, including one of the first six meter amps on a "bet you can't do it" dare when I was doing consulting work at an amp manufacturer.

Despite my reservations, they made it into a commercial product. W8JX and WIK'ka pretty well nailed it.

On six meters, you would be lucky and the tubes would be hot just to get 400 watts. That's 400 watts PEP SSB, or 300 watts low duty cycle CW. We did a lot of testing, the design was very good, and 6MJ6's were about $2-3 each back then. 6LQ6's would not work well at all, so you are pretty much stuck with MJ6's.

As for what I am putting into the amp that is around 14-15w.I'm using a FT-726R.

I would be happy getting 400-500W out of it at this point.

Tubes may be still serviceable. With 15 watts of drive and good tubes you are not going to get remotely close to 400 watts. Tubes may be a bit soft but you need more drive here. Figure on a 8 to 10db gain here on 6 meters. This means with good tubes you need 40 to 50 watts of drive here for 400 out.

Logged

--------------------------------------Ham since 1969.... Old School 20 WPM Extra

The 6MJ6 tube is an old sweep tube and the numbers W8JX quotes is pretty much on the money. I'm thinking 600W out maximum on HF. 6M, less.

I have a Swan 350A in my boat anchor collection. This IS NOT the Swan 350 that runs a pair of 6KD6 tubes. The 350A runs one 6MJ6 tube in the final. With a NOS Sylvania 6MJ6 tube power out is 135 on 80 meters and around 80-90 on 10 meters. Even with 4 tubes I doubt if you can get more than 350-400 watts out on 6 meters.

NOS 6MJ6 tubes are very pricey. I paid around $70 for one from a reputable source.

Copyright 2000-2017 eHam.net, LLC
eHam.net is a community web site for amateur (ham) radio operators around the world.
Contact the site with comments or questions.
WEBMASTER@EHAM.NETSite Privacy Statement